Carolina Pride Car Wash Inc. has announced the promotion of Robert (Robbie) F. Adcock to the position of vice president. Adcock had 18 years of experience in the hydraulic, pneumatic and controls Industry prior to joining Carolina Pride's team as general manager in 2001.

Pantron Automation Inc. has promoted Rachel Giambo as its new manager of car wash accounts. Giambo joined the Pantron team in 2003. Originally from New Jersey, she resides in Gastonia, NC.

D and S EXPANSION

D and S Carwash Equipment Company is in the finishing stages of an expansion of its High Ridge, MO, headquarters facility. Consisting of a new building on the current site, as well as increased warehouse space, the expansion will allow D and S to move primary manufacturing of major product lines to its headquarters facility.

The expansion is part of a specific reorganization of D and S manufacturing operations in response to increased demand, and is designed to provide for greater efficiencies.

COLEMAN IN IRELAND

Jim Coleman Company has a new distributor in Ireland, WashWell Services. Owner Leighton Ricketts recently installed his first Water Wizard 2.0 in Cork City. "With the road conditions and frequent wet weather, vehicles in Ireland experience a lot of wear and tear," said Ricketts, expressing confidence that the equipment will help keep
cars in Cork City clean. Also installed at the site were Jim Coleman Company shampoo-and-fragrance vacuums.

RAPIDO RABBIT BANKRUPTCY

Rapido Rabbit, LLC, the car wash franchisor, voluntarily filed for bankruptcy on September 30 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Until recently, Rapido
Rabbit reported having signed franchise and area developer agreements committed to open over 90 franchised units in Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas. Several sites, in fact, opened for business in Arkansas during the last few months.

The franchise operation featured the express-exterior concept, offering a $3, three-minute exterior car wash with free vacuums. The system used an automated pay station, resulting in the driver never having to leave the car.

PDQ HOSTS GOVERNOR

Wisconsin governor, Jim Doyle, chose PDQ Manufacturing as the backdrop
to launch his new economic development initiative - Grow Wisconsin: The 2005 Agenda. The agenda focuses on three areas: investing in business, investing in people, and fostering a competitive business climate.

His speech focused around making Wisconsin a high-end, competitive manufacturing market, referencing PDQ as an example of this.

AUTO WAX SOLD

Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) has purchased the stock of Auto Wax Company Inc. (AWC), a leading manufacturer of professional automotive reconditioning and refinishing products. These products are marketed under the brand names Auto Magic, Clay Magic, and Body Magic. The purchase was a cash transaction. The purchase price was not disclosed.

A privately-held company, Auto Wax Company was founded in the 1960s. Its products include a comprehensive range of waxes, polishes, compounds, interior and exterior cleaners, soaps, dressings, and clay bars which are sold through a worldwide network of independent distributors and automotive retail outlets.

Auto Wax joins ITW's finishing group and will operate under the management of Ronald E. Stibich, president of Fibre Glass-Evercoat. ITW designs and produces an array of highly-engineered fasteners and components, equipment, consumable systems, and specialty products for customers around the world.

This is the second major producer of car-care appearance products to change hands in recent months. At the end of May, Ashland's Valvoline division completed the purchase of Car Brite from E & A Industries of Indianapolis, IN in a cash transaction. That purchase price, too, was not disclosed. Valvoline also markets Eagle One® auto appearance products.

TLAPEK HELPS KATRINA VICTIMS

John Tlapek, the controlling shareholder in D and S Carwash Equipment Company, recently appeared on "The Tonight Show with
Jay Leno" to pick up the keys
to the show's celebrity-signed Harley-Davidson motorcycle, benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina. Tlapek's winning bid on eBay of $505,100 raised money for the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Fund.

"[D and S] has several customers in the Gulf region who lost their businesses due to effects of the hurricane," said Tlapek. "I just wanted to do what I could to help those
and the many, many others who were affected." A Harley-Davidson owner/enthusiast, Tlapek is also actively involved with raising money for children's charities as part of www.travelswithcharley.org.

DETAIL PLUS IN ROMANIA

Detail Plus Car Appearance Systems, a manufacturer of equipment for the professional auto detailing industry recently commissioned its first of several planned detailing centers in Timisoara, Romania.

The four-bay center was sold to Detail Plus distributor, Cristian Pop of Expert Detailing Systems, who himself owns and operates 3 detailing centers in Bucharest, the nation's capital. These centers will soon be equipped with the Detail Plus Chemspense Systems as a part of a national franchise program.

COLEMAN and SONNY'S HELP

The devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and Rita have impacted thousands of Louisiana and Texas residents. Many of these residents have moved to Houston and the surrounding areas to re-establish their lives. Houston area schools have enrolled nearly 5,000 new students who are in need of backpacks and school supplies.

Jim Coleman Company has teamed up with Linda Pomerantz of Stars and Stripes Car Wash in Florida and Moms United to Help. It is Moms United to Help's goal to collect monetary donations, backpacks and school supplies for the students.

With the help of Sonny's Carwash, all of the items collected in Florida have been shipped to Jim Coleman Company in Houston to be distributed to the area schools.

Last week, Jim Coleman Company distributed over 60 backpacks to area schools and more are continuing to arrive. These backpacks and supplies will be helpful to the many students that are getting their lives back on track.

OBITUARY: DAN HANNA

Dan Hanna, Sr. died October 19 in Portland, OR at the age of 70 from complications of cancer. He was a leading innovator in the professional car wash business and an iconic figure in the industry.

Hanna was the founder of a series of highly-successful Oregon businesses including Hanna Auto Wash, which at its peak owned more than 50 facilities worldwide, with 31 in Portland. He also established Hanna Car Wash International, an innovative manufacturer of car wash equipment. He held more than 100 patents in the industry. By 1989, Hanna equipment was in use in 20,000 locations in 71 countries.

In 1967, Hanna purchased his first Lear jet, which he piloted around the country and across the Atlantic. Though a racecar enthusiast, he set a world record in 1988 in a Lear jet by climbing from 0 to 10,000 feet in 1 minute 13 seconds.

Daniel C. Hanna was born in Portland, OR on October 26, 1934. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Betty Simonis; four sons, Daniel Jr., Mark, Kirk, and Derek; and five grandchildren.